(;FF[4]GM[1]SZ[9]ST[1]AP[SGFC:1.13b]

GN[chris]
PB[Chris]
PW[The Many Faces of Go]
KM[0]
DT[2002-04-07]

C[Hi there,

I am a novice at Go. I learned the rules just a few weeks ago. My
rating might be around kyu 30. I send you a game which I lost with the
black pieces.

I am not skilled enough to ask specific questions. I think some
general comments about this game are very helpful for me.

With kind regards

Chris


Hello Chris,

I am a novice at review writing. :)
I am currently playing at 7k on KGS, so my advice may have some flaws.
If you have further questions, feel free to email me.

 Peter];B[cg];W[gg];B[gc]LB[dc:A]C[(A) would make a good spot here as well.
As black is one move ahead, black can play for territory on a 9x9 board and just win
by taking a bit more than white.
Your G7 is certainly good, too. But it will lead to a hot game as neither player has
connected groups at the beginning.];W[cc]
(;B[ce]LB[ee:A]C[I personally would play at (A) here. This move would serve two purposes:
a) it connects your stones.
b) it splits the white stones.

A move like (A) does not make any territory yet. But connecting your own
groups and splitting your opponent is a sure way to win.];W[eg]
;B[ge]TR[cc]LB[ec:A]C[Playing at (A) instead would attack the marked white stone at C7.]
;W[ec];B[gd]LB[ee:A]C[This move is very passive. White can ignore it. This is bad, if you make moves
your opponent does not need to answer.

In Go there are the concepts of sente and gote.

A sente move usually forces your opponent to answer, if he ignores it, it will be a
local loss. A gote move is a move your opponent does not need to answer, so your
opponent gets sente next.

Instead I would again play at (A) for the same reasons as before: Connect your
stones and split your opponent into two groups.];W[bd]TR[be]
C[Now white ignored your G6 move and starts attacking you while making territory himself.
Usually it's good to answer this kind of move by playing at the triangle spot. On a big board
this would be played late in the game, but on the small board it threatens too much.
The threat is White playing at B4, destroying your territory and threatening the life of your lower
left group.];B[cf]TR[be][dh][ee]C[One of the triangle spots instead looks better and more active.]
;W[ee]C[Now White got that point you should have played. White connects his stones and
splits you in two.
The upper right black group is fine, but the lower left is threatened by B6 and should be
reinfoced. The idea is to play a move at your weaker group, not at your stronger group.]
;B[ed]C[This kind of cut is not good. White will get a better result.
Don't play those moves in between of a 1-point jump unless
you have a really good reason. Here, this move does not lead
you anywhere.];W[ag]TR[bd]C[This is the "monkey jump". White can connect A3 to B6.
Here you see why White B6 was a good move earlier. He came in through
the back door into your territory.]
(;B[fd]LB[dd:A]C[This should have been at (A). See variation.]
;W[dd];B[be]C[Difficult now. White should play A5 and your group looks pretty dead.]
;W[bh];B[ch];W[ai]C[I don't understand this move. White should play A5 and connect.]

(;B[fb]C[Argh. You cannot ignore the lower left!
Your upper right is fine, the C4 group is hot.

I have played a couple of variations. Probably I did not find
the optimal sequence for white. But maybe you can get some ideas.

At least ignoring the lower left here was wrong.];W[ae]C[White connects.]

(;B[gb]TR[db][hf]C[What does this move do?
It does not attack white. Nor is it required to defend there.
I don't want to sound mean, but actually passing here would have the same effect.

H4 looks like a good spot.
Or D8 to ruin some of whites territory on the top. You can connect D8 to your
F8 stone.];W[eb];B[bb]C[I dont think this can work. You cannot connect this stone to your own stones.
Also you cannot live in the corner.];W[de]C[White gets this good point that connects his stones and finally
should kill your lower left.];B[cb];W[ab]C[I do not understand this move.]
;B[gf]C[This is ok. H4 would be possible too. Both are good.
Here you have H3 as ideal follow-up move. White has to play H3 now.]
;W[dg]C[Another move I don't understand.];B[dh]C[Your group is dead. You are just adding prisoners.]
;W[eh];B[cd];W[bc];B[db];W[dc]TR[ea][hg]C[Good sequence here.  Question is, is it bigger to connect those 3 stones or play the big hane
on H3.
I don't know. H3 looks better.]
(;B[hg];W[gh]
(;B[ig]C[This is bad.
You can now take your chance to connect at E9.
If you want to play in the lower right, then play H2.
J3 can be ignored by white, and you throw away points.];W[da]
LB[fa:A]C[I would have played at (A) instead as white.];B[hf]
C[H2 gives you some more points.];W[ff];B[fa]C[Good.];W[ea]
;B[hh];W[hi];B[ih]C[This is filling a neutral point.
But actually, the game is over now.];W[ba]C[Computer plays bad.
This is throwing away a point.];B[ii];W[gi];B[fc];W[fe];B[tt]
;W[df]C[Computer throws away another point... This is not needed.]
;B[bg];W[di];B[bf]C[Now if you want to do something, then play A4 and have a Ko. But it
is much too late for that now, you could have tried long ago, see previous
comments and variations. This move does not help to make eyes, it just
adds another prisoner for White, so you lose a point.]
(;W[ci]C[Computer plays very bad here. There is no danger. See variation.]

(;B[fh];W[fi];B[ad];W[ac]C[This is the last move in my record. So I assume here you stopped.

Your main mistakes were to play some moves your opponent could ignore and
that did not do anything good for you. Also you had ignored the main focus of
the game, the lower left corner, when it was urgent.

As a rule of thumb, play
a) Urgent moves first
b) Moves that attack your opponent and make territory for yourself
c) Moves that connect your groups and split the opponent
d) Moves that make territory.

Moves that make two things are good moves. Urgent moves that are needed
to rescue your own groups should never be ignored.

You lack some basics. Now, I don't want to sound mean, everyone has started
with Go. But if you want to learn Go, you have to invest some efforts in that.
First of all, I recommand playing a lot. Computer is fine for the very beginning,
but please keep in mind computers play very bad Go. Advantage is, you can
play a lot of games and the AI does not complain. Disadvantage is, you can
get some bad habits from it. When I started with Go, I played a lot against the
AI, too, just because it was difficult to find a human opponent as beginner.
Maybe get some books, for beginner level I like Janice Kim Learn To Play Go
series, also Graded Go Problems for Beginners Volume I is good. A nice
webpage for problems is goproblem.com.
If you can find a local club, go there. And visit one of the internet servers,
I recommend KGS and IGS.

If you have further questions, feel free to contact me via email, or have a look
if you find me on KGS or IGS, Im using the nick "Zotan" on both.

Enjoy your Go :*)])
(;B[tt];W[tt]))
(;W[tt]
(;B[af];W[ci])
(;B[ci];W[ei];B[bi];W[af])))
(;B[ea])
(;B[hh]
(;W[hi];B[ea])
(;W[fa];B[ga];W[ea];B[gi];W[fi];B[hi])))
(;B[ea];W[hg]C[Your 3 stones are connected, but White gets the big H3 point.
Actually, maybe playing H3 instead of connecting at E9 is better.]
))
(;B[af]C[This looks interesting.]
(;W[bf];B[bg]
(;W[af];B[bi];W[ci];B[di]
(;W[ah];B[bi];W[ad];B[cd];W[bc];B[de];W[dc];B[ef]C[Maybe this would work.]
)
(;W[ad];B[bi]C[This Ko might work.]))
(;W[ad];B[af]C[Ko for the life of your group.]))
(;W[ad]
(;B[bf];W[dh];B[ci];W[cd];B[bg];W[ah];B[bi];W[ah]C[Unfortunately this way black dies. White creates a dead shape and then
plays on the vital point and kills.])
(;B[bg];W[bf]C[Ko for the life of your group.];B[cd]
(;W[af];B[de];W[dc];B[ef]C[Connected.])
(;W[bc];B[af]
(;W[ci];B[ah];W[dh];B[bi])
(;W[hf];B[ah];W[ic];B[bi];W[hb];B[de];W[dc];B[ef]C[Now the top right is ruined, but black is safe.]
))))))
(;B[af]
(;W[dh];B[bg];W[ci];B[ah];W[di]C[White cannot really afford to play this ko here.]
;B[bi]C[Alive.])
(;W[bg];B[eh];W[fh];B[dg]
(;W[ei];B[ef];W[dh];B[ff];W[ci]C[Connected. But ruined territory.]
)
(;W[ef];B[di]C[One eye versus one eye. Black should kill white faster here.]
))
(;W[ci];B[dh];W[di];B[ei];W[bi];B[eh]C[This does not work for white.]
)
(;W[ah];B[bg]C[Alive.])))
(;B[dd];W[fd];B[fc]
(;W[fe];B[dc];W[eb];B[db]C[White is cut and you can capture the 2 stones and connect.
Very good for black here.])
(;W[dc];B[fe]C[If this, you simply capture and are connected.]
)))
(;B[ee];W[ce];B[ec];W[ge];B[eg]C[A bit theoretical, but black definately looks better here because he ony has
one group, and white has two.

In general, as more separated groups you have, as worse. Connected groups
are strong, split groups are weak and can be attacked.]))
